Taunton City Council expected to reconsider vote on property tax split

Monday

Nov 18, 2013 at 12:01 AMNov 18, 2013 at 6:22 PM

The City Council’s 5-to-4 vote last week for a slight shift of property tax burden away from commercial and onto residential property owners for next fiscal year has caused something of a stir.

Charles Winokoor

The City Council’s 5-to-4 vote last week for a slight shift of property tax burden away from commercial and onto residential property owners for next fiscal year has caused something of a stir.

A letter in the council agenda packet forTuesday night’s 7 p.m. meeting from the Taunton Republican City Committee excoriates councillors who voted to lower to 1.71 the previously established 1.75 tax-shift — the maximum ratio allowed by the Department of Revenue — favoring residential owners.

The classification shift will result in Taunton homeowners paying an average of $48 more for fiscal 2014, according to Taunton’s Board of Assessors.

After the vote was recorded last week, councilor A.J. Marshall moved to continue the hearing for a vote of reconsideration. This week’s packet, under the heading of a hearing, states the “possibility” of a continued hearing for reconsideration.

Sherry Costa Hanlon took heat the day after the vote when she appeared as a guest on Taunton’s WVBF AM radio station.

That morning. callers criticized, and even berated her, for voting to shift some of the tax burden away from small businesses, in order to help stimulate economic development and future business investment.

Costa Hanlon said she’s sticking to her guns, and if necessary will vote again in favor of the 1.71 ratio.

“I understand the opposition, but I think small business owners deserve a break,” she said.

Council president John McCaul likewise said he’ll again vote in favor of the shift to lessen the burden on CIP (commercial industrial personal property) taxpayers.

“It was a very difficult decision to make,” McCaul said. “But it’s time we paid attention to our businesses and show that we really are business friendly, so we can attract new business.”

He cited a figure quoted last week by Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce President Kerrie Babin, who said the vacancy rate for Myles Standish Industrial Park has increased to 13.6 percent. McCaul also noted that giving business owners a slight break could help fill downtown storefront vacancies.

But David Pottier says any additional tax burden on residential property owners is unfair, especially for senior citizens on fixed incomes. He stresses that apart from the new ratio burden, taxes across the board will automatically increase by two and a half percent.

The TRCC’s letter accuses the council of delaying their decision until after the recent election had been held. It also charges city leaders with failing to make spending cuts that otherwise would preclude the necessity of raising taxes on residential property owners.

“You took the easy way out and passed it on to us,” it says.

The letter signs off by offering to help the council find an alternative.

“We would be happy to assist you in finding a responsible resolution of this issue,” it says.

One of the four signatories to the letter is former City Council candidate Brian Kennedy.